Flydubai Dubai-Tel Aviv flight scare: Pilot stabbed, but it was not a hijacking; what exactly happened?

Imagine being thousands of feet above the ground when suddenly you hear screams coming from the cockpit. Then the aircraft starts losing altitude.

That was the terrifying experience reported by passengers aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when an incident involving the pilots forced the Boeing 737 to divert to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The plane landed safely and all passengers were accounted for. But the sequence of emergency signals, reports of a fight inside the cockpit and a dramatic change in altitude triggered fears of a hijacking before authorities clarified what had happened.

What happened on the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv?

According to Reuters, the aircraft transmitted the international 7700 emergency code, followed several minutes later by 7500, the code associated with hijacking or unlawful interference. The aircraft then diverted towards Saudi Arabia and eventually landed at Tabuk Airport.

An Israeli official told Reuters that the emergency signals followed a physical altercation between the two pilots. Israel's Prime Minister's Office subsequently said the incident was not believed to have been a hijacking. flydubai itself has so far described what happened only as an “incident”. The airline said the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk and that all passengers and crew were safe and accounted for.

What did passengers say they saw inside the cockpit?

This is where the account becomes particularly alarming, but also where caution is needed. Reuters reported that a passenger's family member said she heard screams and was told that a man had taken a knife and put a pilot on the floor, with blood visible. Israeli media also carried accounts from passengers who said they heard screaming before the cockpit was opened and saw blood inside. One passenger told Israeli media that people believed a pilot had been stabbed with a pocketknife and that passengers and crew helped restrain the attacker.

These are passenger accounts, not an official reconstruction of the incident. The precise sequence of events inside the cockpit remains under investigation.

Did the plane actually plunge during the flight?

Flight-tracking data showed an unusual change in the aircraft's altitude. The Indian Express, citing flight-tracking information, reported that FZ1073 first transmitted 7700 and later 7500 before communications were temporarily lost and subsequently restored. The aircraft eventually landed at Tabuk.

The flight data shows what the aircraft did; it does not by itself establish why the aircraft descended.

Was the flydubai flight hijacked?

No, according to Israeli officials. The initial 7500 transmission understandably triggered fears of a hijacking. Israeli fighter jets were reportedly scrambled as authorities tried to establish what was happening.

But Reuters reported that an Israeli official said the incident was not a hijacking and was instead connected to a physical confrontation between the pilots. The early reports that one pilot may have deliberately tried to crash the aircraft remain unconfirmed and should not be presented as established fact.

Why did Israeli fighter jets scramble?

The 7500 code is internationally associated with hijacking or unlawful interference. When an aircraft transmits such a signal, authorities have to treat it as a potential security threat until they can determine otherwise. That helps explain why Israeli fighter aircraft were reportedly sent towards the area while officials tried to contact the flight.

The situation was serious enough for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold consultations. His office later said the incident was under control and that efforts were being made to return the Israeli passengers safely.

What happens to the passengers now?

The immediate crisis ended when FZ1073 landed safely at Tabuk. flydubai said all passengers were safe and accounted for and that its teams were working with the relevant authorities. Reports said arrangements were being made to transport the passengers onwards to Israel.

The episode also highlights the unusual geography of the route. The flight was travelling between Dubai and Tel Aviv, but an emergency diverted it to Saudi Arabia, a country that does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Reuters reported that efforts were therefore underway to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel.

For those on board, however, the geography was probably the least important thing in that moment. They had heard screams. They had seen an emergency unfold in the cockpit. And for several terrifying minutes, they did not know whether the aircraft was under attack, losing control or both.

Now the plane is safely on the ground. The bigger unanswered question is what exactly happened between the pilots, and why.

(With inputs from ANI)